Sustainable Mobility: The engineering challenges of EVs

Within the next 10 years the bulk of the automotive sector’s production and sales will swing from petrol and diesel vehicles to a majority of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).Managing this momentous shift will require the industry to overcome some substantial challenges.

Most significantly, the current price is the biggest barrier to greater consumer demand for EVs. High costs also mean that very few EVs are currently profitable for manufacturers.

Another big challenge is improving range. This will require better battery technology, better designs and the embracing of various kinds of innovations to help the vehicles drive further for longer on a single charge.There will also be some very specific issues to look at around the driving experience, such as Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH).

Addressing these substantial engineering and manufacturing challenges will require the industry to collaborate more than it has done previously.It will require car makers to invest heavily in EV-specific manufacturing lines to get the most out of the machines.

And it will mean companies and individuals throughout the supply chain being obsessive about detail, right down to the smallest of components.